Wire grid ash tray cover



Aug. 10, 1954 w. L. JONES 2,685,981

WIRE GRID ASH TRAY COVER Filed March 51, 1949 2 Sheet .s-Sheet l 0, 1954 w. JONES 2,685,981

WIRE GRID ASH TRAY COVER Filed March 31 1949 2 Sheets$heet 2 STATES GiFFlQE WIRE GRID ASH TRAY COVER Walter L. Jones, South Wales, N. Y., assignor to McDonald Products Corporation, Bufialo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 31, 1949, Serial No. 84,629

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to smokers articles and more particularly to an ash tray having a removable wire grid cover.

The present invention is adapted to provide a wire grid cover construction for ash trays having an attractive appearance, efficiently supporting cigarettes and the like, and formed of wire strands placed under tension and constructed in a manner so that the wire may be readily wound on a rim in an economical manner and suitably tensioned by inserting a tensioning member between selected strands.

The invention provides a wire grid structure for ash trays which can be made in a convenient and inexpensive manner through winding a length of wire on a rim and suitably securing the ends so that a plurality of strand portions extend transversely between spaced portions of the rim at the end of the winding operation, after which the strands are separated between the ends to place the desired tension thereon with the application of suitable means for separating and retaining the strands under tension.

The invention provides a wire grid cover for ash trays having a member supported by the wire grid structure in spaced relation between opposite portions of the rim providing a rest for supporting cigarettes and the like, a snufiing device for putting out the light on a cigarette, cigar or the like, an attractive ornament in combination with the grid structure and also a.- means of retaining the strand portions of the grid structure in separated tensioned relation.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows an ash tray in perspective equipped with a wire to the invention. v

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the underside of the ash tray cover showing how the wire is secured to the rim and tensioned by the tensioning member forming an ornament in the center of the rim.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical cross-section showing th manner of detachably securing the rim on a tray taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective showing the bottom of the rim illustrating how one end of the Wire is attached and rigidly secured to the rim at the beginning of the winding operation and how the first part of the winding is applied.

Fig. 5 is a perspective similar to Fig. 4, showing the completion of the wire winding operation and the fastening of the trailing end of the wire to the rim.

Fig. 6 shows how the strands of the wire are grid cover made according tensioned by lateral separation through applying a separating and tensioning member into interlocked relation between selected wire strands for support thereby.

The ash tray provided by the invention has a receptacle i and a removable cover generally indicated as 2. Cover 2 has a circular rim 3 of inverted U-shape in cross-section. Rim 3 may also be of any desired polygonal shape according to the style of ash tray selected. Rim 3 has a top portion 4, an inner flange 5 and an outer flange 6. Inner flange 5 has at apair of opposite positions on the lower edge, outwardly extending lugs 1 for detachable engagement under inwardly extending beads 8 formed on the upper rim portion of receptacle I. By applying cover 2 so that rim 3 will engage over the upper edge of the top of receptacle l with outer flange 6 on the outside of receptacle l and inner flange 5 spaced inwardly from the upper margin thereof, it will be seen that lugs i will be positioned to engage under beads 8 and detachably secure cover 2 to receptacle I to provide a complete assembled ash tray.

A Wire grid is mounted on rim 3 by having a plurality of wire strand portions 9 extending between spaced portions about the lower edge of inner flange 5 of rim 3, as shown in the drawings. The ends of strand portions 9 are secured to the rim in any suitable manner to provide strand portions extending across the rim in angular relation to each other to form a wire grid construction within the rim for supporting cigarettes, cigars and the like and providing space between the strand portions for ashes and the like, to fall into receptacle I.

While separate strand portions 9 of wire may be secured at opposite ends to flange portion 5 of rim 3, the present invention contemplates a preferred method of forming a wire grid through winding a single length of wire on rim 3. For this purpose, rim 3 has the lower edge of flange 5 formed with a plurality of lugs id and a similar lug ii. Lugs id and H, are formed to extend radially outwardly in spaced relation from flange 5 in the formation of the rim preparatory to winding the wire thereon.

A length of wire has one end engaged about one side of lug H and anchored to flange 5 by engaging the end under a retaining lug i2. Primary anchoring lug I2 is bent to engage about the end of the wire and the outer portion of jflange '5 as shown in Fig. 4, so as to firmly secure the end of the. wire to flange 5. A short portion of the wir extends from the primary anchoring lug H to a first lug H as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon it is extended transversely across the rim to one of several lugs 10 on a spaced opposite portion of the rim in forming the first strand portion 9. The wire is then wound about this lug i and extended back across the rim again to another lug [0 adjacent final anchoring lug 53 to form the next strand portion 9. This second strand portion iswound to. cross over the first strand portion in extending across the rim. The wire is then wound about another lug l0 across the rim on the opposite side of the rim to form th next strand portion and adjacent the lug in around which the wire was first wound. As the wire is wound on each lug, 10 it will be understood that it is wound on the.

lug on each side of the rim adjacent to. one about which the wire has been previously wound until the length of wire has been engaged about all of the lugs [0 on flange 5. This winding on the lugs 10 progresses in a clockwise direction as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The trailing end of th Wire will then engage the first lug H on the side opposite the leading end so it may be extended in a direction opposite the leading end of the wir from the lug H. The trailing end of the wire is then anchored under final anchoring lug l3 formed on flange 5 which is bent downwardly against the inside of the flange in the sam manner as lug 12 for anchoring the end of the wire to the rim. Lug I3 is formed on the rim on the side of lug H opposite to lug l2 and is separated therefrom by the first lug H.

With strands 9 of the wire extending substantially transversely between the lugs and crossing the opening in the rim in angular overlapping relation, it will be seen that a grid of wire strands is provided to form an attractive design; With th initial winding of the wire on the rim, it will be appreciated that it is rather difficult and unnecessary to secure complete tensioning of the wires to produce a neat, appearing grid. It is, therefore, desirable to further tension the wires in order that they will be held straight and against substantial flexing relative to one another. Therefore, after the wire has been wound on the rim and the ends secured as. above described, the portions crossing at angular relation near the central portion of the-rim are then separated in any suitable manner, preferably by placing a tapered tensioning member (4 with the smaller end engaged between selected strands 9. Then, by forcing member 14 to move in perpendicular relationto the plane of strands S for moving the larger end between the. strands, they will be cammed apart and substantially tensioned to provide straight strand sections between the member and the rim arranged in an overlapping relation. An attractive wire grid design is provided through the crossed substantially radially extending relation of the wire strands. The tensioned strands will be firm to provide a rigid support on the rim for forming. an ash tray cover.

The tensioning member Mis provided with an annular groove is in the portion of its. larger diameter of a size to receive wirev strands 9 so they may slip from the tapered portions of member Iii into groove l5- for interlocking engagement with member i l to retain it rigidly engaged and supported by the wire grid structure with the strands under the desired tension. The upper end of member l4 may be formed in any desired manner to provide an ornament on top of th wire grid structure having a central supporting end portion formed with a plurality of projections l6.

Projections I6 are spaced about the periphery of member 14 and are adapted to receive a cigarette or the like for support on the rim and grid structure between projections It so that the cigarette or the like will not roll on the rim. A cigarette, cigar or the like, may have its light snuffed out by pressing it against the upper end of member Hi. As shown in the drawings, member 1 may have an auxiliary pointed tensioning member 58 associated therewith for insertion between wire strands 9 in the tensioning operation. Member 18 is arranged to receive the small end of member 14 in a socket in the larger end thereof and is formed to have strands 9 drop from the large end thereof onto member hi and into groove l5.

The method of winding the wire on the rim and tensioning it through inserting member M with auxiliary member [8 into engagement with the separated strands for tensioning and holding the strands in tensioned relation, while at the same time having member Hi supported by the strands, provides a very economical method of forming a wire grid on a rim in making an ash tray cover. It eliminates the necessity of placing the final tension on each strand as it is wound on the rim. The present method provides for the rapid winding of, the wire on the rim in a convenient manner, securing the ends, and then by the application oi the tensioning member after the wire has been wound and secured to the rim, the strands can be separated to provide the desired tension thereon while at the same tim attaching and supporting a snufiing device and ornament of a pleasing character in the center of the wire grid.

The invention claimed. is:

l. A wire grid ash tray cover comprising a circular rim, a. portion of. wire having folds connected tosaid rim and defining between said folds a series of wire strands extending transversely of said rim whereby a. line connecting opposite ends of each strand defines a nonediametlical chord, said strands intersecting one or more other strands, all of said strands defining an opening at the vertical axis of the rimand means adapted to be positioned within the opening and adapted to stress said strands and retain said strands under tension.

2. A wire grid ash tray cover comprising a rim, a plurality of lugs on said rim at. spaced intervals about. the periphery, a length of wire having terminal portions, mounted on said rim with portions embracing said lugs, other portions of said wire connecting said lug embracing portions defining a series of wire strands extending transversely of said rim whereby a line connecting opposite ends of each strand defines a non-diametrical chord, said strands intersecting one or more other strands, all of said strands defining an, opening at the-central portion of said rim, and means adapted to be positioned within the opening and to retain said strands under tension.

3.. A Wire grid ash tray cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the terminal portions of said length of wir extends along said rim from a lug embracing portion and additional lugs on said rim are adapted to embrace and retain said terminal portions.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent Number D. 162,172 657,517 1,149,015 1,399,770

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Jones Feb. 27, 1951 Camden Sept. 11, 1900 Zugmaier et a1. Aug. 3, 1915 House, Jr. Dec. 13, 1921 Boe July 12, 1927 Number Number Name Date Szabo Jan. 28, 1936 Bashur June 16, 1936 Schneider Aug. 18, 1936 Soens Mar. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Dec. 30, 1932 

